Ritual: Centipede's Gait

Did Iver really need to use rituals to identify suspects?

In fact, it is not necessary.

When he heard Captain Camus suggest "copying the documents," he already knew who the suspect was.

The logic is very simple.

The document handed to Captain Camus was not a "top-secret diplomatic letter" whose contents were unknown to everyone, but rather "substantial evidence" whose contents were already known to all. It was the very letter they had initially intercepted from the spies.

In other words, this is "the key evidence that has locked onto Aleister's identity." And almost everyone knows about it.

Despite Her Majesty the Queen's warning not to make this matter public, the Chief Secretary to the Naval Minister requested that Captain Camus make a copy...

This actually reveals the Minister of the Navy's attitude.

In short, Her Majesty the Queen's attitude towards the Round Table Hall is that she intends to conceal this matter. Therefore, the letter is highly likely to "disappear unexpectedly" or have its contents replaced. The disappearance or disposal of this letter is precisely the direction the Royal Family desires.

In this situation, going through the motions, following procedures, and being prepared for any eventuality... it goes without saying who they're actually trying to annoy.

Moreover, Captain Camus had inadvertently mentioned that he was a "Hunter".

This is another important detail.

If this matter escalates and continues to ferment, what will ultimately happen?

Without a doubt, Captain Camus will be held solely responsible.

He will definitely argue his case and explain that he really did not see anyone—he will repeatedly emphasize that, as a "Hunter," he did not see anyone pass by the stairs at all.

In other words, either the thief entered silently through the window, took the items, and left, or he was able to bypass the keen senses of a Third Level Hunter, force his way into the house, and steal something important.

But the thing is still lost. Once it's lost, it's lost.

No matter how he explains it, it can only lead to two possible public opinions—

First, these new generation of "non -Path of Authority" extraordinary individuals lack the necessary obedience and discipline, making them unable to assume important positions.

Secondly, even Hunter who have reached the Third Level are still not very useful, unable to even detect when their belongings are stolen. The power of these "other paths of extraordinary individuals"—those outside the "authoritarian, sacrificial, and balanced" paths—encouraged under the "Sofia Policy," does not possess the necessary qualities to be encouraged and developed.

Thus, the Minister of Everything, authorized by Queen Sophia, was about to encounter a new generation of officers born from the "Sofia Policy." If Iver did not attack, it meant he would suffer in silence; if Iver attacked, they could steer the matter towards the legacy of the "Sofia Policy" left over from the Queen's reforms.

By working backward from the perspective of the beneficiary, one can naturally discover who was behind the scheme.

—They must be those knights and gentlemen of the Path of Authority.

Do we still need to use rituals to track down the thief's identity and then slowly investigate along the clues? Absolutely not.

All we need to know is who the mastermind is; it doesn't matter who actually did it.

Although Iver doesn't usually enjoy deduction, it doesn't mean he lacks the ability. He simply prefers to solve problems in a more direct way.

Iver became one of the few friends Sherlock recognized, not just because he knew some miscellaneous knowledge that he couldn't use for the time being... After all, being knowledgeable and being intelligent are two different things.

Conversely, Iver needed to let others know that he had used the ritual.

However, the quest to find the lost item was destined to fail.

The person who stole the item must have taken precautions against divination, or they've already sold it. Once it changes hands too many times, acquiring too much of the people's scent, the lost item becomes very difficult to find through divination rituals.

Iver had no interest in being led around the city like a dog by clues, whether real or false, and becoming a laughingstock.

—Since the clues have most likely been erased.

Why not just create the evidence yourself?

Iver took out the ritual materials from his satchel and began preparing for the ceremony in front of Captain Camus.

A bottle of Parthia Tree Essential Oil, a bottle of Happy Sage Essential Oil, a sample of fine downy hair from a kitten's paws, Snake Skin Ointment, and moth scale powder. Also included is the Snake Venom Ointment that Yulia concocted, which Lily hadn't used in the battle, and the blood of Iver infused with Lily's magic.

These are all materials that Iver collected, purchased, or made last night.

The essential oils were fresh, bought directly from the "King." Moth scales are a common ritual ingredient... but finding a kitten to groom is not so easy.

As for Snake Skin Ointment, it is a typical therapeutic ointment made to Path of Adaptation.

It requires slowly roasting descaled snake skin over a low flame, while adding some hemostatic and tissue-regenerating herbs, eventually simmering it into a thick, black broth. Then, it's cooled and air-dried in a shady place, ground into powder, and mixed with sesame oil and honey to form a paste that can be stored for a long time.

This kind of ointment can be used to stop bleeding and promote tissue regeneration... Of course, its effects are certainly not as good as Alchemy Potion or witch's potions. Only those extraordinary individuals who Path of Adaptation can fully utilize its effects. Adventurers and archaeologists traveling in remote areas far from towns will carry some with them.

Under Captain Camus's watchful eye, Iver dripped the blood infused with Lily's magic into the moth's phosphorus powder and gently shook it to mix. He then soaked the cat's fur in Parthia Tree Essential Oil, mixed Snake Skin Ointment with snake venom, and added half a drop of Happy Sage Essential Oil to dissolve it.

Thus, Iver obtained three tubes of liquids of different colors.

Dark brown, dark red, and dark green.

Iver infused his Dark Attribute Mana into each of the three bottles, then poured the liquids in front of him, letting them flow into three puddles and gradually mix together.

He believed that Captain Camus would not understand the ceremony and the materials.

Because Iver was about to perform was not a divination ritual at all.

Iver parted his lips slightly and murmured, "I respectfully request the Gray Angel..."

"The Heavenly Judge who is neither real nor fake, the Heavenly Judge who is silent and speechless—"

"Let me be as light as a cat, as elusive as a moth, as venomous as a snake..."

"Give me a lie that is vague and silent!"

As Iver chanted silently, the three pools of liquid in front of him gradually evaporated and mixed together.

Three plumes of smoke of different colors gathered together, eventually turning into a bland grayish-white.

Iver inhaled the smoke deeply, then stared blankly ahead as if in a dreamlike state, a hazy gray mist shrouding his pupils.

But in fact, Iver was not hallucinating.

This ritual, called "The Centipede's Gait," is recorded in Lily's Grimoire. The most important ingredient is "the aura of lies," which is either Lily's blood, magic, or the illusory spider silk she creates.

Its effect is simple and effective: it hides Iver from the dimension of prophecy and divination.

Iver was momentarily distracted because he now needed to carefully weave his "false destination".

During the duration of this ritual, all prophecies and divination methods at the Fourth Level and below will be disrupted.

If someone were to investigate Iver's ritual practices during this period, they would see the "false actions" he was currently embellishing. The more illogical and illogical the false actions, the shorter their duration.

From the moment Iver arrived at Captain Camus's study, his true whereabouts would be kept hidden.

The "lie" that Iver fabricated was very simple—that after gathering intelligence, Iver left on his own and went home.

Before he even got home, he was attacked, seriously injured, and kidnapped by "Aleister," who was lurking in the shadows.

In front of Captain Camus, Iver completed his ritual.

"How?"

Seeing Iver open his eyes, the captain asked nervously and expectantly, "Did you find it?"

"Found it."

Iver sighed and said softly.

"What's wrong?"

The captain asked nervously, "Is there some trouble?"

He witnessed Iver's "divination" and could vouch for Iver that Iver's information came from the divination—he certainly wasn't lying, because he genuinely believed it. No lie detector could detect it.

"It's the Minister of the Navy."

Iver, his voice low and betrayed, replied softly, "The letter is with him. And he seems to be quite familiar with Miss Aleister."